Q301 Fall 2001
Application Paper #1
Individual Project
In this assignment you will write a letter to the parents of a 15 year old patient, Jenny Dark, who has a condition very similar to that experienced by Casey Cave.
Instructions for your letter to Jenny’s parents
Jenny Dark is a 15 year old who has a condition similar to that of Casey Cave. However, her epilepsy is restricted to the left temporal lobe of her brain.
Assume for the moment that you are the consulting neuroscientist working with Jenny and her parents. Your job is to provide information to the Darks in order for them to be able to make an informed decision about the surgery. If they chose to have the surgery, Jenny will have her left temporal lobe removed, including the left hippocampus but not the thalamus or right hippocampus. You need to anticipate what functions Jenny might lose as a result. In a 1-2 page letter, describe the operation and summarize the functions that will be lost as a result of the removal of her left hemisphere. Be specific about which functions are located in the left hemisphere. Also describe the prognosis for recovery, noting that Jenny is two years older than Casey, and therefore might not recover in the same way. Address your letter to Mr. and Mrs. Dark, adopt a compassionate tone, and provide as much assistance as you can to help Jenny and her parents make this most agonizing decision.
Timeline
September 10th– Application paper #1 due in class
A length of 1-2 pages would probably be sufficient.
Grading Criteria
|
Section |
Possible Points |
Your Points |
Introduction- In your initial section of the report, do you lay out for the parents what you intend to communicate in this report? |
+/- 1 |
|
Description of Epilepsy- Do you provide a brief and concise description of the disorder, including a summary of the interactions at the cellular level? |
+/-1 |
|
List of brain areas and their functions. Do you describe the functions of each brain area? |
+/-2 |
|
|
Prognosis for recovery- Provide your own ideas for the recovery of function. At this point you can only make educated guesses, but then again, so are the doctors when considering a 15 year old. |
+/-2 |
|
|
Executive Summary- Do you summarize the possible deficits and help the parents through their decision with some recommendations for how they should make their choice? |
+/-1 |
|
Total: 33+ ________ = _________